Seed-germinator.



B. B. & G. P. BALGOM.

SEED .GBRMINATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 23,1910.

978,812. PatentedDec.13,1910.v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. B. & G. P. BALGOM.

SEED GERMINATOR. APPLIOATIOH FILED HARM, 1910.

Patented Deb. 1 3, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

55573620 6 Geo/yep aka/neg n'rs- NORRIS Prrzksam, WASHINGTON, a u.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBENEZER B. BALCOM, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AND GEORGE 1?. BALGOM, OF

' HOUGI-ITON, MICHIGAN.

SEED-GERMINATOR.

Application filed March 23, 1910.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 551,052.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EBENEZER B. BAL- COM and G-noncn P. BALCOM, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Milv'aukee and I-Ioughton, respectively, in the counties of Milwaukee and Houghton, respectively, and States of lVisconsin and Michigan, respectively, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seed-Germinators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seed germinators.

It has been found that in feeding seed, such as oats, barley and the like to poultry, much superior results are attained if the seeds thus fed are previously caused to sprout or germinate, the nutritious value being thereby greatly increased.

The principal ob ect of the present invention is to produce a simple and efficient device, whereby seeds may be thus sprouted or germinated in sufficient quantities simply and inexpensively and with very little trouble.

Further objects of the invention are to simplify and improvethe construction and operation of a device of the character outlined above.

IVith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a front view of a seed germinator constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 38 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 4t-t in Fig. 3.-

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The improved seed gerininator consists of a boX or casing A which is supported upon legs B whereby it is raised to a suitable elevation. The box or casing A which may be of any desired size and shape is provided with a flat bottom 5 which may be constructed of wood or metal, but the side walls and the top of the casing are each preferably constructed of an outer sheathing 6 of wood, an inner lining 7 of zinc or other sheet metal and an intermediate layer 8 of asbestos paper or other non-conductive material. The top of the casing is provided with a ventopening 9 surrounded by a flange or pipe 10 having a cap or closure 11 which may be readily detached when desired.

Permanently arranged within the casing a suitable distance above the bottom 5 is a partition which is in the form of a metallic tray 12 which is permanently secured within the casing and which is made perfectly water tight. The side walls of the casing, below the tray or partition 12, are provided with apertures 13 which are partly for the purpose of supplying air to support combustion for a lamp or heater 1 1 which is placed upon the bottom 5 and partly for the pur-- pose of permitting escape of the products of combustion. Interiorly upon the side walls of the casing are placed cleats 15 to support drawers 16 each of which has a central aperture 17 surrounded by an upstanding flange l8.

The front wall of the box or casing is provided with doors 19 and 20; the former to afiord access to the heater compartment below the water tray 12, while the door 20 affords access to the upper compartment containing the drawers 16. It is obvious that the said upper compartment may be made to contain any desired number of drawers, and that, generally speaking, the dimensions as well as the shape may be va ried from those herein shown.

The drawer supporting cleats 15 are preferably spaced from the sides of the casin the rear ends of said cleats being attached directly to the inner faces of the'back wall, while the forward ends of said cleats are supported upon brackets 15 projecting from the inner faces of the side walls of the easing; an open space will thus be left between the cleats and the side walls, as well as between the side walls and theadjacent sides of the drawers 16 through which moistureladen air may circulate within the casing, such spaces being indicated at 16 in the drawings, Figs. 3 and t. In like manner the drawers are made of such dimensions that separating spaces 17, seen in Fig. at, will be left between the drawers and the front and rear parts of the casing.

The operation of this invention will be very obvious from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed. \Yater is placed in the tray 12, and the seeds that are to be sprouted or germinated are placed upon the drawers 1%, after which the. lamp or heater is lighted and the doors shut. The water being heated will become vaporized and the seeds being subjected to the action of the moisture-laden heated air will speedily sprout or germinate.

It will be observed that the seed containing compartment is entirely isolated from the heater containing compartment, and the seeds will thus be protected against injury from the fumes of oil or other fuel, as well as from the smoke rising from the heater. To insure absolute separation between the upper and lower con'ipartments it may be found advisable to provide the inner faces of the door 20 adjacent to the lower edge of said door with a dovetailed groove 91 wherein is placed a packing strip 22 of asbestos, felt or other suitable material to abut upon the front wall 23 of thewater tray 12 when the door 20 is closed. thus effecting a perfectly tight closure, whereby the upper and lower compartments of the casing are distinctly separated.

A thern'iometer 2t has been shown suitably arranged in one of the side walls of the casing for the purpose of indicating the temperature.

The apertures 17 in the drawers 16 will permit free circulation of the heated and moistureladen air within the seed compartment of the casing, and any excess of vapor may be permitted to escape through the outlet 9 by ten'iporarily removing the cap 11.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

In a device of the character described, a casing having side walls and a top, each composed of an outer sheathing, an inner metallic lining and an intermediate layer of non-conducting material, a horizontal partition consisting of a water tray, cleats upon the inner faces of the side 'alls above said compartment, seed receptacles supported upon said cleats, said receptacles having apertures surrounded by upstanding flanges. and a heater supported in the compartment below the water tray, the side walls of the asing below said water tray being provided with apertures.

In testimony whereof we attix our sigua tures in presence of two witnesses.

EBENEZER B. BALCOM.

:EORGE P. BALCOM.

itnesses as to the signature of Ebenezer B. Balcom:

E. G. CoMs'rocK. F. V. Doniusiti.

lVilnesses as to the signature of George 1.. Balcoin ULmon Tnnronn, ILL. Soxcxrmn. 

